Senate to allocate AML money to UW, highways

The Wyoming Senate voted to add more money into highway construction and the University of Wyoming during final debate of a funding measure dealing with Abandoned Mine Land money.

During debate of a bill to spend Abandoned Mine Land money, the Senate restored fundin git had removed from highway aid, and added the opportunity for the University to raise more money for a performing arts center

Senator Phil Nicholas continued his pitch to spend money on the UW College of Engineering.

“It has generated the product that now is doing tight sands research, development in coal, development in every aspect, improvement in our bridges, all of that. And if you look at the incubator, the jobs creating, I’d say about half of those folks come out of the College of Engineering.”

Nicholas got support to use some of the state’s capital gains to fund some projects.

Senator Eli Bebout worried about that approach, but Nicholas countered that they would only spend it if the money is truly available.